Review of "Agent in Old Lace"

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Coming home from the LDStorymakers Writers Conference in Provo, Utah in April, I was pretty tired so I spent most of my time the next few days reading. The novel I read was: Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston. No, it hasn’t taken me this long to read it – I just got a Trojan spy on my computer and couldn’t send anything in before now.

This is Tristi’s forth novel. Agent in Old Lace is the first of her novels that I’ve read. I found myself engrossed in the story and wondering from page to page if I was right in my deduction of who the “bad guy” was going to be. I’m one of those people that can be watching a TV show and tell my husband right away “who done it”. That knack has him sometimes frustrated with me – but I say to him, "don’t ask me if you don’t want me to tell you".

So with that in mind you can see why it’s important for me to read good mysteries that can keep me guessing as to “who done it”. With Agent in Old Lace I found that I was correct in the early conclusion as to who the “bad guy” was, but even though I guessed right, it kept me reading and wondering if my reasoning was accurate or not.

This fictional story of intrigue is set in Salt Lake City and southern Utah. Agent in Old Lace is about Shannon Tanner and her fight for life when she accidentally stumbles on some files her fiancee should not have, containing financial information about herself and her father. She struggles to stay alive after she’s kidnapped and taken into the mountains. With daring nerve, she escapes her captor. The aroma of cooking bacon and a campfire draw her. Going forward she finds an unlikely old man in the woods and thinks she’s found her prince in shining armor.

Shannon is shocked to find the old man isn’t who she thought he was and once again narrowly escapes her captors. Her attempts to flee are frustrated by hunger and as darkness and cold set in; the rain begins to fall. Her main goal in life is to stay alive and return to her dear father who is lying in a hospital bed dying. Her father's doctor is totally baffled by the cause of his illness.

Through twists and turns in the story and the help of an undercover agent who dresses as a woman to help protect Shannon, the story keeps the reader intrigued. Falling for the agent in lace isn’t in the plan. But as Agent Rick Holden goes about staying close to Shannon and trying to protect her from the life threats against her - planning doesn’t seem to fit in the equation.

Tristi Pinkston is adept in painting a picture of human bonds and struggles in this family’s life. Shannon, whose beloved father is dying and the trials of trying to keep her integrity, loyalty, and yet apply forgiveness are great challenges that take courage to face. The decisions she makes are all a fundamental part of this story. Tristi takes us into the characters hearts and homes which are well described in this story. If you’re interested in a good mystery to read, I recommend Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston.

Go get it and enjoy...
And have a good weekend - Joyce